Archery has long been of interest for shooting both wild game and targets. Avid archers must often transport their bow in a vehicle which has created a desire for a bow which can be disassembled rapidly and easily for storage or transport. Many archery bows have been described which can be disassembled into three parts as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,468; 4,574,766; 3,957,027; 3,415,240; 3,921,598; 3,814,075 and 3,502,063. These all require two limbs to be engaged with a handle. The extra time required for assembly is detrimental. Another disadvantage with the three piece bows is the criticality of the joint. Since the handle does not flex appreciably in the three piece designs the entire shooting action of the bow is dependent on the outer extent of the limbs. Even slight differences in the mounting of the two limbs may cause the bow to lose accuracy.
Two piece designs have been detailed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,738,348; 3,612,028 and 3,156,230. These are also deficient for various reasons. An asymmetrical bow, as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,230 suffers from the potential for poor accuracy. The flexing of the two limbs may be different which could alter the flight of the arrow and the accuracy of shooting. Furthermore, the handle must be large to provide a large surface area for the abutment. A biased cut places pressure on the back of the cut when the arrow is drawn and this pressure is transferred to the front of the cut when the arrow is released. A bias cut necessarily comprises an acute angle on one piece of the joint and an acute angle is potentially weaker than a right angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,348 comprises stepped interior ends. Upon drawing the arrow the rotational force places a considerable strain on the interengaging ramps which causes wear and the potential for fatigue fractures. Furthermore, the manufacture of archery bows with the interengaging ramps is more expensive and the cost of the finished product may be prohibitive. Fitting of existing bows with the interengaging ramps would be difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,028 comprises a hinge which allows the two limbs to be folded. The plane of force applied when the arrow is drawn is perpendicular to the axle of the hinge. Any slack in the axle of the hinge could cause the limbs to vibrate which could affect the accuracy of the arrow. If the axle is tight the bow is difficult to fold. The axle can be properly fit during manufacture but any wear will create a bow which could vibrate or lose accuracy. Furthermore, the hinge adds complexity, and associated cost, to the manufacturing process.
There has been a long felt need in the art for an archery bow which can be disassembled into two parts yet maintain accuracy over a long period of time.